The Island of Calamity

by Cooper Cadman

Five years ago, Sylen lost everything.
After a deadly attack on his village, the fifteen-year-old thief has survived alone in an overseas city, with nothing but a single magical stone—a faint reminder of his family.
When he enters a dangerous competition rumored to offer more than money, Sylen meets Finn, an energetic red-haired farm boy whose boundless optimism quickly bonds them as friends. But a masked rival changes everything when he claims to be holding Sylen's siblings alive on Calamity Island—a place torn apart by not-so-natural disasters.
Determined to save Sylen's family, the two boys join a crew of pirates bound for the island. To defeat the masked man and survive the disasters waiting ahead, they must work together to face those who destroyed everything Sylen once loved.

316 pages, Kindle Edition

Published May 4, 2026

About the author

Cooper Cadman lives in Ohio after graduating as a Bearcat from the University of Cincinnati. The Island of Calamity is Cooper’s debut novel. While continuing to work on future stories, he spends his time training to be the very best like no one ever was or watching the latest release at his local movie theater. He loves to nerd out over just about anything!

Follow along with his latest writing projects on social media @coopercadmanbooks.

Reviews

[Sean can read · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an awesome YA coming of age novel that I know my younger self would've loved! You can tell it's anime inspired with adventure, friendship, dangers, and pirates being some of the elements of this book. I love Finn and Sylen's friendship and was intrigued by some of the different themes and feelings this book tackles. Excited to see what comes next for them!

[KELS · Rating 5 out of 5]

The anime coded energy was so fun, and the villain was one of the coolest I’ve read. It has such wide appeal... it's so much FUN! I’d recommend it to readers of all ages.

[Kyle Modschiedler · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you are a big time anime lover this one is definitely for you! You can tell that the author is a big fan of anime and I thought it was great! We get fast paced adventures with a nostalgic tone that brings you back in time to your childhood watching all your favorite animes! Man this was a good time!

[Ephraim Wright · Rating 5 out of 5]

An adventure and a half!

I had no clue I was going to have this much fun reading Island of Calamity, but boy was it hard to put down! Pirates, whirlpools, giant monsters, super powers, this book is packed with action! The pacing is also perfect. Short chapters make it easy to blow through huge chunks at a time, and the adventure doesn’t let up. Finn and I would be great friends. Well done, Cooper!

[Phil Cadman · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thought that this was a fun, well crafted adventure. It was full of everything that you want in a story. I can’t wait for the next book!

[Jordy Rousse · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun YA Coming of age book. Great adventure and journey of friendship and discovery!

[Alyssa Mullins · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fantastic read from start to finish. As an anime fan, you can really see the inspiration right from the jump which made me very eager to continue the story. (I devoured it.)

The two main characters are total opposites, but somehow work effortlessly together throughout the high stakes that were presented. Cooper does a fabulous job of showing a perfect representation of found family between his two MCs. I still haven’t decided if I like Finn or Sylen more. Time will tell with a re-read. This is the perfect read year-round. It will never not be a good time to pick this book up.

Cooper Cadman is a hilarious writer and very obviously had so much fun writing his debut. Although, it’s important to mention that this novel also had emotional weight as well. Very unexpected twist! It pulls at your heart strings, keeps you rooting for the teens throughout, and will make you chuckle non-stop. I’m excited to see what he writes next.

There’s something for everyone on The Island Of Calamity, are you ready to go on an adventure? 🔥

Thank you to the publisher, author, and NetGalley for the E-ARC.

[I.L.Jordan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was lucky enough to get an arc read to this fun book. Cooper Cadman’s young adult adventure story: island of calamity, was something that I was able to happily share with my own children and we had a blast reading it. The opposite personalities of the main characters was so entertaining. Who doesn’t like magic stones and dangerous islands? This is a great young adult read for anyone who wants to have their own adventure. Highly recommended.

[Michael Leddy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I simply had a blast reading this book. The story was full of increasingly intense obstacles as the island of calamity promises from the very beginning, but the main conflict always remained personal to the main characters which kept the stakes feeling real.

[Aiden McCandless · Rating 4 out of 5]

I just finished this book and had a great time with it. It had a really fun, anime-inspired adventure vibe. And of course… pirates. I’m always a fan of pirates.

[James Alexander · Rating 5 out of 5]

An outstanding book from, Cooper Cadman. I don’t read much in young adult and this is on the younger side of young adult but very much gives Percy Jackson meets maze Runner.

[Mary Jo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Monsters, crazy action, and a group of lovable pirates! Who could want any more? Especially after diving into the One Piece world, this is exactly the type of story I’ve been craving!

[Brittany Boroughs · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a blast to read! If you like anime this is definitely a book for you. Hunter x Hunter meets One Piece…yes please! I look forward to reading more from Cooper

[Akuliszi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you Netgalley for an ARC.

That was a really fun middle grade book. There were some things that didn't make much sense or were childlish in the way they worked, but I decided to just ignore them and let myself enjoy the vibes. I would have loved this book if I read it when I was 12, and I had a lot of fun now.

Finn and Sylen really reminded me of Gon and Killua from Hunter x Hunter. (Especially Sylen)

I was surprised how dark the final fight was, and how the situation shifted from a light adventure story.

The writing could have been better, but since it's the authors debiut, I will overlook that. I'm looking foward to reading more from the author.

[Jon Allen · Rating 5 out of 5]

outstanding book, must read for anime fans!

[Ana Day · Rating 1 out of 5]

Loved that it felt like reading a manga/watching anime. I would’ve liked this a lot more if I was younger but kudos to the author for his debut! Cant wait to see what else he comes up with

[Rachael Cadman · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a fantastic coming of age story. The island of calamity encapsulates so many of my favorite tropes: deadly competition, ride or die best friends (grumpy/sunshine energy) and a HINT of romance (but maybe my brain is reading into that with Casey and Sylen🤭). The back stories of the characters are so complex and compelling that you even feel bad for our villains.

The story is very cinematic with each part gearing up to even bigger stakes. Readers of this will definitely enjoy the fast pace action as well as the moments of genuine connection between all the characters. The story is YA but anyone can appreciate it. The characters have youth like qualities that make sense as they both haven’t truly interacted with other teens their age. So their thoughts and actions reflect childlike as they are FINALLY able to experience playing games, sharing inside jokes, and learn about friendship without feeling bad about that inexperience. Cooper excels at encouraging his characters to act the way they want and the POV and tone of voice clearly demonstrates that. 5/5 stars!!

[Tales with Atticus · Rating 5 out of 5]

okay this was just FUN

island of calamity is giving percy jackson meets one piece. Our MC is a fifteen year old thief who lost his village, finn is the sunshine farm boy who refuses to let him stay closed off, and their grumpy/sunshine dynamic is the heart of the whole book.

then a masked rival shows up claiming his siblings are alive and being held on a cursed island, they join a pirate crew, and we are OFF.

This has the anime adventure energy with escalating stakes, big action, magic, pirate crew chaos but the backstories actually hit, the villains are more complex than they need to be, and you'll find yourself caring way more than you expected to.

cooper cadman is so funny. you can feel how much fun he had writing this, and that energy carries the entire book. it's accessible enough that i'd hand it to a kid AND an adult and both would have a great time.

[Carlyn Morenus · Rating 1 out of 5]

The Island of Calamity is marketed as a YA novel. Yes, the characters are 15. And they say "hell" a good bit. But the mild cussing seems kind of tacked on, and they don't behave like teens, they behave like pre-teens. The writing is clumsy, a lot of things aren't properly explained, and the dialogue, oh my. This would work better if the boys were age 10 or 11, and just take out the mild cuss words. It's just not a YA book. And it's a poorly-written middle grade book. Plot too flimsy and contrived, writing immature, everything inconsistent. Cooper Cadman had some interesting ideas here, but this needs a lot of refinement.

[Elise Duvall · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is just fun all around! Even amidst heavier topics and perilous adventure, Finn and Sylen will have you smiling through every obstacle. It was a joy to see Sylen embrace his new friendships and Finn encounter all that the world has to offer with his hodge-podge band of companions by his side! If you are looking for a read that sparks your child-like sense of adventure I recommend The Island of Calamity!

[J.R. · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Island of Calamity is the kind of adventure story that reminds you why you fell in love with books in the first place. It blends high stakes danger, genuine friendship, and a sense of wonder that feels fresh. Perfect for readers who love pirate tales, survival stories, and found-family. I can't wait for book 2!

[Cassie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cooper Cadman manages to make hilarious tonal shifts work perfectly for his two main characters. The boys match each others energy so well. Literally in the same scene Sylen can go from saying “Touch him again and you won’t be breathing long enough to ask your mommy for help” to “Now, if you two don’t mind, we’re going to make a bunk bed.” And it totally fits the scene!

[Sydney Cadman · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am not a huge reader but I wanted to support my amazing brother on his debut novel! I was so pleasantly surprised with this story. It kept me so intrigued the whole time and there was a lot of foreshadowing! The characters were so well portrayed and I absolutely loved reading this book! I absolutely recommend this book to anyone who is in for a fun filled adventure!

[Jennifer Fallacaro · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had the chance to read this along with my nephews and I loved just how much they enjoyed it! Every new disaster or monster had them on the edges of their seats! I loved how virtually every chapter was a big cliffhanger so Cooper made it tough to just stop there.

[Reader · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Island of Calamity is a fun adventure book with just the right amount of heart that I can’t get enough of. Finn kept me smiling with his almost comical amount of positivity. And Sylen honestly made me laugh even more a character with so much sass!

[Jackie Hartsfield · Rating 5 out of 5]

With an adventure that’s sometimes over the top in the best way, the main duo of Sylen and Finn manage to make this book feel totally relatable. Their friendship reminded me so much of my best friends and I as teenagers minus the exploding island part.

[Dadpool · Rating 5 out of 5]

An absolute fun read with some great vibes. Big fan of anime style stories and this brings to life the setting you find in One Piece & HunterXHunter. “Enjoy the small detours in life” and take up this book!

[James Alexander · Rating 5 out of 5]

An outstanding book from, Cooper Cadman. I don’t read much in young adult and this is on the younger side of young adult but very much gives Percy Jackson meets maze Runner.